Chapter 84

EP.84 Revelation-7

Unique Magic

A form of magic that has existed since ancient times, even before the concept of circle magic was established, and from the very beginning.

A unique principle of magic created by emulating the physical and dispositional characteristics of the magician themselves.

A crystallization of magic created by the insatiable thirst for knowledge, not only by the ancient magicians but also by the great magicians of the present era.

That was unique magic.

Therefore, the principles of unique magic varied from magician to magician.

In the case of the Black Tower, it was about usefulness.

- I think the magic that is most useful to oneself is unique magic. If you want to know more precisely, come to the graduate school. You're always welcome.

In the case of the White Tower, it was about efficiency.

- It should be the magic you can use best in any situation. In that case, Rios's unique magic is disqualified. Its efficiency drops to a quarter in areas without water.

In the case of the Red Tower, it was about differentiation.

- Ultimately, it's important to have magic that is truly your own! If it's just a theoretical unique magic, others can easily follow it!

In the case of the Blue Tower, it was about academic rigor.

- Developing unique magic means you have felt the essence of magic. Just by succeeding in development, the meaning of magic will change.

In Rios's case, it was about purpose.

- Actually, mine is a special support magic I created because there are often voyages or bad weather during expeditions. My unique magic is too peculiar to be of any help, but I can handle love advice...

After synthesizing various pieces of advice, the focus of unique magic was on the magician themselves rather than on the magic.

Unique magic is a mysterious existence that has existed since before the concept of magic was established.

Therefore, it should not be confined to the concept of magic.

And

Because one is not just a magician, one can break through that limitation.

***

"...No way...! How...! 4th Circle...!"

"Where did you get the dog-like idea that if you can't do it, others can't either? Did you get it from a public confession or something?"

Rios also created a unique water magic that was on par with the highest-level magic, limited to water-rich areas.

As Platius's face gradually turned red and blue from the direct and scathing criticism, he thought,

'Anyway... Rios must have some weakness...!'

Thinking this, she scattered sand and dust with magic, partly because she was confident that she had the upper hand in magic.

"That will be your downfall."

Ain, who had been calmly observing the battle, explained the situation to the acolytes, holy knights, and Ariasfil.

"It's evident that she is experiencing the same process of defeat, a lower compatibility version of the Blue Tower's principle."

As if to prove his words, she increased the distance and launched stone pillars from mid-range.

"It's just a mix of swordsmanship and magic...!!"

•Slash Form 1: Hal (割) Horizontal Slash

The elegant lightning sword aura and the subsequent flow of mana formed a single seal.

"Lightning Accelerate."

With a short incantation, lightning enveloped Rios's body. It wasn't just about manifesting magic; each time she swung her sword, the lightning around her body intensified, accelerating her speed.

The lightning, which was essentially a reinforcement spell, was even strong enough to cause her pain.

'...What...!? Why is she faster than me...!'

Rios's current magic manifestation speed surpassed not only her but also the Blue Tower. Given the power of the magic she had just manifested, this was perhaps to be expected.

"My father's principle of unique magic is simple."

He adds a magical attribute to the aura to create a magical sword. Although it was a challenging process, it was something any skilled magician could do.

The problem was the subsequent process.

"He uses martial arts as a large seal, a magic circle, to manifest magic."

A unique magic created by focusing on the seals, which are auxiliary actions in magic, and calculating all known magic formulas to produce and draw a magic circle with the body.

The final verbal incantation serves as the trigger for the completed magic circle.

"Within my knowledge, there is no magician other than my father who can realize this."

It wasn't a matter of principle, understanding, mana amount, or sense. If the body couldn't keep up, it was meaningless.

A magician with such a profound level of martial arts was non-existent throughout history, except for Leonardo.

"Then...!!"

She used the broken stone pillars as a catalyst to create a small boundary on the ground. Soon, the boundary turned into a physical wall of stone that enveloped Rios.

"Caught...!"

Bang!

It was just one second, but considering that the Blue Tower took four seconds, it was relatively good. Relatively.

[Wind Burst]

A pillar of wind that pierced through the stone prison, the boundary that isolated the outside would have shattered if it hadn't been created by Rios herself.

"Now, my father's core and circle are linked."

The core and circle of a magus are separate domains.

Although they have a similar structure, the core is a long-term mana reservoir, while the circle is a mana manipulation device.

While someone who can create a core can theoretically create a circle, in practice, it is impossible without a deep understanding of magic and manipulation skills.

Conversely, a magician with a circle cannot form a proper core without physical training and experience in emission.

Most magi fail to distinguish between the two, leading to an imbalance or overall deficiency in their core and circle.

"But my father accurately distinguished and trained them, linking them in the most efficient form."

Thanks to the advice, criticism, and teachings of the wise, the core and circle functioned independently within the body, each fulfilling its role.

The combination of pre-reincarnation combat experience and post-reincarnation magical knowledge resulted in the core and circle linking when manifesting unique magic.

"Through this, my father can simultaneously manifest delicate aura like magic and powerful magic like aura."

The meaning of this was simple and didn't need much explanation.

"...This is... unfair..."

Rios's unique magic was not incomplete.

On the contrary, it was nearly the opposite.

•Slash Form 2: Cham (斬) Vertical Slash

"Flame Slash."

The harmony of martial arts and magic evoked a beautiful aria, annihilating the enemy before her.

The explosion of flames and the sword strike sent her flying into the boundary. The cracking sound indicated that it was more than just a scrape or dislocation.

"...Enough...! Now...!"

There was no question of surrender.

•Throw Form 10: Tou (投) Aimed Throw

Rios threw a dagger. The dagger, which flew at lightning speed, was actually surrounded by a lightning spell.

Thud!

The dagger grazed her cheek and embedded itself in the ground. The electric current from the lightning flowed along her cheek, stimulating her pain receptors.

'...But now, without a dagger...!'

"It's over. Cripple."

The dagger not only had a lightning spell but also a short-range teleportation spell, Blink.

"Keh...!"

Rios grabbed her by the neck and collar, lifting her off the ground. With one hand, she squeezed her neck, suspending her in mid-air.

"Do you want to surrender?"

"Keh...! Ha...ack...! Keh...!"

Perhaps because her neck was squeezed, she couldn't even utter the short word "surrender." Rios had intentionally closed the distance and strangled her from the start.

"Oops. You're still not in your right mind."

Then, with one hand, he altered the boundary magic circle. The boundary darkened as if a curtain had been drawn, blocking the view from the outside.

"Leonardo...!!"

"Father Lumen!! What do we do...?!"

If Rios were to seriously anger and kill Platius in that situation, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Hurry, break the boundary...!"

"Let's just watch for now."

Everyone looked at the person who made this dangerous suggestion with shock. They then bowed in awe.

"Your... Majesty...!!"

"I came out because it was noisy, and it seems there really is a commotion."

"I'm sorry. I'll stop it immediately..."

"No, it's fine."

As he said this, the Holy King emitted the light of divine power. The situation inside the boundary became visible to the people outside. Given the high-level divine magic, even Rios didn't notice.

[Choke...!]

Releasing his grip, Platius fell to the ground. It was more like Rios had thrown her to the ground.

[You can't see outside. Don't even think about help.]

In reality, they could all see, but neither Rios nor Platius had noticed yet.

[...You... You...! Unharmed...!]

Thud

An immediate kick, with no hesitation or fear of future consequences.

[What am I afraid of? The Blue Tower? Do you think the Blue Tower Master lost just because he had nothing to do?]

The Blue Tower Master was thoroughly defeated by Leonardo. Despite no handicaps, he lost to Leonardo due to the gap in practical experience. The Blue Tower Master had acknowledged this defeat.

[The Magic Tower... will...!]

[Of course, they won't just sit by. There will be punishment.]

Crack

Leonardo calmly crushed her finger with his foot.

[To you.]

[Aaaaah...!!]

With her screams as the background, Rios calmly explained the future with confidence.

[Because of your foolish actions, the Blue Tower's image is in shambles, and the relationship with the temple is crumbling.]

Rios then gently relaxed her leg. The pain intensified as the external stimulation to her fractured hand ceased.

[So, I'll give you a chance. If you apologize properly, I'll let you go. I'll also ask for proper treatment.]

This was the last bit of mercy Rios showed.

[So, apologize. Before I really kill you.]

[...I... I... did... wrong...]

[What?]

[...Yes?]

Rios lightly squeezed her hand, which was already severely fractured. It was better than the unpleasant ship she had been on during her time in the Magic Tower.

[Aaaaah...!!]

[What did you do wrong? You need to say it to be forgiven.]

[...In front of...! I kept... annoying you...! I'm sorry...!!]

The apology was quick, perhaps due to the pain. However, Rios's anger was not focused on this.

[Is that all?]

[...Aaaaah!? Why... more force...!]

To her rude and ignorant question, Rios personally provided the source of her anger.

[Ain's feelings don't matter? Because she's a familiar.]

[...But...! That's...!]

Even in real-time pain, she was a scholar with high self-esteem and honor as a magician. To her, Ain was merely a "doll with academic value."

[Yes, Ain is an intelligent humanoid familiar. I know she's not biologically human. As a magician, I can't deny that.]

A being made of mana and fluid minerals instead of blood and flesh.

This was how the world evaluated Ain, and how Ain evaluated herself.

[But, you see, I can't help but get involved in this family play.]

That's why she was angry.

[When you make a contract with a familiar, the familiar's thoughts flow in initially.]

While thoughts don't continuously flow during the contract, they often do in the early stages when the connection is unstable.

[Do you know what the first emotion she felt was?]

Through conversations with Rios, Ain came to understand the concept of emotions and deeply engraved this feeling in her heart.

[It was guilt.]

This was Ain's first emotion and her mark.

[The guilt of her existence and her emotions. That's the first feeling my daughter ever felt.]

And it was one of the pillars of the anger Rios felt now.

<+--|-|--+>